It has been increasingly reported that the popular type 2 diabetes drug Actoplus Met XR (pioglitazone hydrochloride and metformin hydrochloride) has been associated with an increased risk for bladder cancer in patients taking the medication for a year or longer. In June 2011, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning stating that individuals being treated with pioglitazone for an extended period of time were at a heightened risk of developing bladder cancer. Signs and symptoms of Actoplus Met XR-induced bladder cancer may include blood in the urine, pain during urination (dysuria), and frequent urinary tract infections.

Free Actoplus Met XR Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking Actoplus Met XR, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against the manufacturer of Actoplus Met XR and we can help.

Actoplus Met XR Overview

Actoplus Met XR is an FDA-approved type 2 diabetes drug designed to be used along with diet and exercise to help diabetics regulate their blood sugar levels. The drug is a biguanide and thiazolidinedione antidiabetic combination that works by decreasing the amount of sugar the liver produces and the intestines absorb. Actoplus Met XR makes the body more sensitive to the insulin that the body produces naturally.

Actoplus Met XR Bladder Cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute, bladder cancer is a disease that forms in the tissues of the bladder, an organ whose chief function it is to store and release urine. In most cases, bladder cancer originates in the transitional cells that line the bladder. Current estimates suggest that there will be about 73,500 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed, and nearly 15,000 deaths from bladder cancer in the United States in 2012.

Signs and symptoms of Actoplus Met XR bladder cancer may include:

Blood in your urine (which may make the urine look rusty or dark red)

Feeling an urgent need to empty your bladder

Having to empty your bladder more often than you used to

Feeling the need to empty your bladder without results

Needing to strain (bear down) when you empty your bladder

Feeling pain when you empty your bladder

Some Actoplus Met XR users may find themselves facing a diagnosis of bladder cancer. While it can be difficult to conclusively determine what causes the disease in a specific patient, it is known that cancer may be the result of exposure to chemicals, cigarette smoking, radiation, and unsafe drugs such as Actoplus Met XR.

FDA Warning on Actoplus Met XR

In June 2011, the FDA issued a warning stating that patients taking medications containing pioglitazone for longer than a year may be at an increased risk of developing bladder cancer. The administration examined data from an analysis on an ongoing epidemiological study, and found that the longer patients took pioglitazone-containing drugs, the greater the risk they had of contracting bladder cancer. The same pioglitazone/bladder cancer link was also found in individuals with the highest cumulative dose of the drug.

Side Effects of Actoplus Met XR

In addition to being linked to bladder cancer, Actoplus Met XR has also been associated with the following serious side effects:

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Heart Attacks

Strokes

Liver Problems

Fractures

Macular Edema

Do You Have an Actoplus Met XR Lawsuit?

The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Actoplus Met XR lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Actoplus Met XR bladder cancer cases in all 50 states.

Free Actoplus Met XR Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking Actoplus Met XR, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing an Actoplus Met XR bladder cancer suit and we can help.

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